The Doctor's Present
by Infinite Hazelnut
Summary: The Doctor and Rose find themselves at the town Villengard where they both have some time to relax and do their own routines. Although Christmas is around the corner and both members have surprises for each other! Ten/Rose fluff.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

The marketplace of Villengard was buzzing with excitement and holiday cheer as Christmas was just around the corner. All along the sides of the streets, vendors were calling out advertisement and compliments to tempt anyone who might have a little cash on them. Nobody's money was safe here since there was just about everything and anything if you took the time to look.

Strolling along one of the streets was a young woman dressed quite warmly with her blonde hair tied up in a messy bun. She ducked her head closer into the multicoloured-striped scarf that was quite long but made a great shield against the chilly breeze. Rose Tyler looked at the merchandise with wide eyes and a small grin on her face. It wasn't everyday she could visit a town in the 51st century let alone have the pleasure of shopping in the local marketplace. Oh yes, living a life with the Doctor didn't allow her to have much down time just to do normal routines. It was always, "Oh Rose! We have to find out why these bodies are coming back to life!" or "Oh Rose! We're stuck on this spaceship and there's a famous historical lady who's in trouble and we have to stop the clock monsters from taking her brain". Well, not that she was complaining; there was nothing in the universe that would stop her from having this crazy life. But it was nice to be a normal woman and just go shopping for once.

They landed just on the outskirts of Villengard when the Doctor strolled out of the TARDIS with his hands in his pockets with a giant grin on his face. He started going on about being here a long time ago and how he exploded the reactor to stop weapon factories. Rose was nodding along, kind of spacing out while she looked curiously at this town. But once he mentioned about going to the banana grove, she looked back at him with an expression of recognition.

"You mean this was the place with the sonic guns and stuff? The one you and Jack were talking about?" she questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, I did tell him a banana grove grew there after the factories were blown to smithereens didn't I? Actually, the bananas here are the best I have ever tasted! Something about the particles from the aftermath of the explosion seeping into the soil, mingling around until the right amount of temperature and water caused the molecules to react together to make the perfect compound called Musacalerate. Turns out this compound was the perfect fertilizer for bananas! What an odd little miracle. Who would have thought that kaputting deadly sonic weaponry would end up growing the best tasting bananas in the entire universe?" The Doctor finally looked down at Rose to see her looking up at him with a full blown grin; the one where her tongue peeked itself from behind the row of pearly whites. His lips started to curl up and soon he matched her grin with his own.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Rose just laughed and shook her head before linking her arm through his and started walking towards the town.

"Nevermind, I just wanna go shopping for once. Do you know how long it's been? We haven't visited Mum for a couple of months now and I think we'll have to bring somethin' back for her."

The Doctor cringed at the possibility of seeing Jackie again. But the longer it was put off, the crazier that woman was going to be. Maybe a gift wouldn't be so bad if it could bring her down a few notches. But then again…

"Shopping? Aw c'mon, I don't want to shop. I wanna go to the banana grove!" he moaned loudly and a bit exaggerated while looking up at the sky.

"You big oaf! Fine, we'll compromise." Rose stopped and swung around to face him with a determined look on her face.

" You mister, you can go to the grove yourself and I'll just walk around in the marketplace. We can meet back at the TARDIS in… Let's say in two hours?"

The Doctor contemplated, his mind working out the pros and cons of leaving Rose by herself in this foreign town. Sure, this wasn't a dangerous place by any means, seeing how they have been to worse places. But this was still new place and Rose wasn't the best direction sensed person around.

"You got your cell phone with you?"

Rose rolled her eyes and scrunched her face in annoyance,

"Yeah, of course!"

"You got some money?" he questioned, acting very much like an overprotective puppy. "It's the 51st century so make sure you have to right coins and bills. Remember the last time you gave that man that quid from your time?" His eyebrows waggled as he nudged her arm with his elbow.

"Oi! Get off it! It was just a slip up. No damage done… He just thought I was tryin to con him…" Rose pushed the Doctor from her side.

"Go on! We'll meet each other in two hours. Don't be shoving your face with those bananas; you'll get sick of them!" She called after his retreating figure. He gave a small salute with his fingers accompanied with one of his adorable grins before disappearing into the direction she assumed was the path to the grove. Somehow in her mind, she imagined his voice saying "Allons-y!" before she turned around to head towards the marketplace. Yeah definitely, she needed some time alone.

AN: Ello, please feel free to review! This is my first attempt at it so some feedback would be great!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Rose continued on her trek along the marketplace stalls. Everything here was absolutely amazing! There was merchandise from other planets, food from other planets, clothes from other planets. She picked up an interesting looking fruit from one of the bins. It looked very much like a pear; but instead of the normal greenish tint, this one was purple. She placed it back and smiled politely at the vendor before moving on to the next stall. While she was window shopping, her mind started turning and thinking about what she could get her Mum Christmas. The last time they saw her, it was September. But according to the Doctor's calculations, it should be Christmas in 2 days. She looked around the marketplace and saw the evidence of Christmas cheer embracing this town. It's funny how they happened to land here near Christmas while it's almost Christmas back home as well. But since it was close to the holiday, everything was cheaper and on sale. With a new gust of determination, she continued on her quest to find something for her Mum.

"Actually, a present for the Doctor wouldn't be such a bad idea as well!" She found herself thinking out loud. What could she get a man who had time and space all for himself? Boy, if she thought finding a present for men was hard, buying a present for a Time lord was even worse. Her eyes surfed the sea of new wonders before it landed on some makeup products at a stall. Well… At least it looked like makeup.

The vendor was a woman; human from what Rose could tell and she could see that the vendor was beginning talk her way into her cash purse.

"Hullo pretty lady! Looking for some top of the line products? I have a large variety from eyeshadow, lipstick, eyebrow pluckers, nose shrinkers, pore fillers" she gushed on and on, pointing at the various products as she mentions them. Rose gaped at the new inventions that she never thought could be so accessible to the public. Then again, this was the 51st century and things have changed a lot. But feeling a little overwhelmed, she stuck with something she was comfortable and familiar with. Her fingers drifted towards the different shades of lipstick. Her mum was complaining about wanting to get the right shade of pink since she last remembered. Something about not being able to find her favourite shade after the shop closed down at the mall.

"Oh lipstick! Yes those are quite lovely. We have every colour you can imagine. From devilish red, to bubble gum pink, ocean blue, applegrass green…" She continued on and on about the colours. Rose had an inkling that this was the woman's selling method; continuing to bombard the customer with so much information until they gave in. Rose started tuning her out as she focused on the colour itself. She had pretty much the same skin tone as her mum so it wasn't hard to find a nice soft colour pink lipstick out of the collage of colours.

"Do you have a mirror?" she asked, stopping the woman from her listing of colours.

"Oh, of course!" the woman purred as she bent over to grab the mirror from the side of the stall. She held it up to Rose's face. Rose popped the top cover off and smoothed the lipstick over her lips. Smacking her lips together, she admired the colour and how much it suited her. Tilting her head side to side, she nodded in agreement to the gibberish compliments the vendor was spouting out at her. Deciding it was a brilliant shade of pink, she popped the cover back on and grinned.

"I'll take it!"

After some minutes of stumbling around her cash purse and probably giving the vendor too much money, she continued on her quest of finding the Doctor something. Everything she looked at, it was either something he already had or something she didn't know what it was. She tried going through their conversations the past while to see if she could remember anything the Doctor mentioned of wanting. She took out the cellphone from her pocket to glance at the time and did a double-take. She'd been at the marketplace for literally and hour and half; leaving only a half hour till she had to go back to the TARDIS. Groaning in frustration, she picked up her pace.

"Stupid Time lord and his infinite amount of knowledge and freedom. What on earth can I get a man who could easily get anything himself?" she muttered under her breath. As she was about to give up, her attention was caught by a small figure in a corner of the market. Squinting her eyes, she started to walk towards the stall. The closer she got, the clearer the object was and a surge of relief and giddiness overcome her body.

"Yeah… Yeah I think that'll do! "She gushed happily and she rotated the figure around her hands. The man that was in charge of the shop was about to start his monologue about how great this product was but Rose just shoved the money towards him.

"I already had my ears talked off by the last vendor. Is this enough?" She rocked on her heels impatiently as time was running out. The vendor looked wide-eyed at her palm, to her face, then back to the money.

"Uh-um…. Yeah lady. This is plenty enough! Here let me get your change." He took the money from her hand and reached towards his cash box.

"No need sir. Have a Merry Christmas!" she yelled as she was already sprinting towards the direction she started from. Rose looked down proudly at her presents with a grin that could only be described as mad as the Doctor's. Oh she couldn't wait to see his face.

Please feel free to drop me a review! This is my first fanfic so some feedback would be great :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**AN: Yay! So there's going to be Ten/Rose fluff in this chapter now :) A bit longer part too.**

Rose panted loudly as she reached the TARDIS, her brow a little damp from the jog. She really had to cut back on those late night chips she secretly made in the ungodly hours of the night. She stopped in front of the door and unraveled her multi-coloured scarf from her neck. Gently, she placed the Doctor's present into the scarf and wrapped it up nicely to ensure its safety. She wouldn't want to break it after she hunted for it through the marketplace. Just as she tucked the end of the scarf into the bundle, the blue door opened suddenly and the Doctor walked out not realizing she was outside.

He bumped into her, nearly knocking her to the ground. But he stepped forward and grabbed Rose around her waist to steady her.

"Woah! Sorry about that. I was just coming out to wait for you to come back," he explained while looking down at Rose. Her arms were wrapped around the bundle of scarf but that didn't seem to put any distance away from her and the Doctor. She looked up, still in a little of a shock but it was quickly replaced by a sudden feeling of nervousness. She looked straight into his brown eyes, fully aware of how close their faces were from each other. She was fully aware of how his arms were still wrapped around her waist like an embrace. With the cold atmosphere outside, the warmth from his arms seeped through the fabric of her shirt and created delightful tingles throughout her body. She was fully aware of the hammering pace of her heart as she breathed in his scent. She always loved his musky scent. It smelled like that comforting scent of something from her childhood, something that reminded her of a safe place. Like the whiff of a loved, old book that has been around for ages. But strangely at the same time, he smelled like pine needles and cinnamon sprinkles. Realizing she hadn't given him any response, she nodded her head silently as her throat seemed dry all of a sudden and words didn't feel like forming anytime soon. The Doctor gazed at her, his eyes tracing every inch of her face from her eyes, down to her nose and finally settled on her pink lips. His gaze lingered as he swallowed and his tongue seemed to act out of its own actions and wet his lips.

Blinking out of his trance, he cleared his throat and released her from his grip. They both took a step back and both seemed to speak at the same time.

"Yeah sorry I was late," "That's good you're alright".

Another awkward pause occurred and the Doctor laughed nervously while his hand tugged on his ear out of habit. Rose gave him a feeble smile and tightened her arms around the bundle.

"Well then, you ready for a surprise?" He blurted out, determined to move pass this tense moment and onto something new. His normal grin replaced the nervous smile as he genuinely seemed excited about something. Playing off his excitement, Rose grinned back and seemed to find her voice again.

"A surprise? Are we going somewhere new? Did you find some new species at the banana grove? No wait, it's not something made out of bananas is it?"

"Oh sure, just because I came back from a banana grove doesn't mean the surprise is a banana. Give me a little more credit Rose!" He teased, his hand reaching towards his tie.

"Right well I'll have to cover your eyes since it's a surprise and all." He tugged at his tie and undid the knot quickly. Once he whipped it from his neck, he unbuttoned the first two buttons from his oxford shirt revealing the hollow on his neck. Rose realized just by unbuttoning his collar, she saw him in a different way. The Doctor was usually always buttoned up, ready for the day with his tie fastened around his neck and collar flipped down. It was a pleasant and welcomed sight to see him a little more casual than usual. Frankly, she preferred him looking this way. He reached over to her arms to grab the scarf from her but she jerked back and moved the bundle from his grasp.

"No! I want to hold onto this." She blurted out, looking a little on edge. The Doctor studied her curiously, his hand hovering in the air but he soon dropped it.

"Um, alright? I just didn't want you to not be able to use your hands when you're blind folded." He moved around to her back and gently wrapped the tie around her eyes.

"Oh I'm not worried. You'll be there to guide me won't you?" she replied standing still now that her vision had been covered up. He was there again, right behind her; his presence invading her senses again.

"Of course! Can't have you running around my TARDIS like a chicken without its head. Nasty sight that is, chicken without its head. I've seen some before. Actually, I can tell you about a planet that has chickens without heads. Weird fellows! You wouldn't want to know how they ate," his voice laced with amusement came somewhere on the left of her. Rose bit back a giggle as she heard him move from behind her and to her front. For a couple of seconds, there was pause. All she could hear was her own breathing and the wind blowing. There was no sound behind her or in front of her; nothing from either side.

"Doctor?" she hesitantly spoke, a slight stab of panic bubbled up from within. She raised a hand out, reaching for something in the unknown when a warm hand grasped onto hers. She laced her fingers through his and held on tight.

"Sorry, I just got… Distracted for a second" his calming voice appeared from in front of her, a little softer than usual. Rose relished at the warmth of the Doctor's hand; having the feeling of it wrapped firmly with hers. It was funny that even when he was in his previous form, holding his hand always felt right. Although his hands were a little rougher and bigger before, she still molded perfectly in his. But since he regenerated, his hands were slimmer and more graceful. They were softer but still just the same, the same shape, the same perfect piece to her puzzle.

"Well then, come along Miss Tyler!" He started to lead her forward, slowly but firmly. She could hear the familiar hum of the TARDIS coming closer as she stepped up into the TARDIS. The warm air engulfed her whole body like a loving caress, warming the cold face and chilled body. The first thing she noticed was the smell of the TARDIS. It wasn't the same smell she has gotten used to for all these months. But it was mixed in with the scent of peppermint, chocolate, pine and burning logs. A one sided grin revealed itself and her eyebrows rose in curiosity.

"Mmm smells good in here," she murmured, still walking forward with tentative steps. The Doctor turned his head and smiled at her even though he knew she couldn't see. His eyes were glowing in anticipation as he led her up the steps to the control hub.

"Alright, wait one moment…" He released her hand and maneuvered around her to reach some controls.

"Pull this lever here, push this button here, spin this spinny thing here…." He spoke out loud as he hopped around. Light instrumental Christmas carols started playing and light flakes started falling from the top of the control room. Grinning like a little boy, he moved back to Rose and untied her blind fold.

Rose blinked a couple of times and slowly started focusing at the new sight before her. She gasped, her mouth fixed in forming an O shape as she took in what has been transformed inside the TARDIS.

The room was beautifully decorated with Christmas decorations. Gold and silver tinsel with coloured lights were strung in lovely arcs along the large tree like pillars inside the TARDIS. Every railing around the hub was laced with soft glowing lights. The usual holly wreaths and mistletoes decorated the various parts of the control room. Right in the corner, a tall majestic Christmas tree stood with all its glory. The tree was also decorated with different ornaments and beautiful lights. There was even a brilliant star right at the top of the tree; something that looked much more like stars in the sky then the 5 pointed stars people usually have. To top it all off, the Doctor somehow made it so that snowflakes were falling all around the room. She laughed with delight as she held up her hand to catch one of the flakes. As soon as one landed on her palm, it dispersed into tiny sparkles.

"They're not exactly real. Just computer generated mumbo jumbo boring stuff you probably wouldn't want to hear. It is pretty though; spent a good hour on creating that program." He spoke as he walked up beside her, looking up at the flakes. She turned to the Doctor and couldn't help but laugh out with adoration. He was wearing that darn fluffy blue robe from the day he first regenerated. Although he wasn't wearing those jim jams underneath; he shed his outer jacket and kept his oxford and his brown pin-striped trousers on. He perked up from her laugh and looked gleefully at her, delighted that she understood the gesture.

"Merry Christmas Rose Tyler"

Rose beamed at him, honestly touched by the effort he'd given at preparing this room for her. How he did it in two hours, she hadn't the slightest idea. Her eyes looked slightly upwards to the left of them and a mischievous glint shone in her eyes. Grabbing the Doctor's hand, she pulled him over to the left a couple of steps. Without a delay, she leaned forward onto her tippy toes and pressed her lips onto his own.

The Doctor stumbled back a bit, eyes widened at the sudden gesture but he didn't sever the connection. His hearts skipped a beat and sped up at the same time. It felt like it took a lifetime to respond when it was probably only a second but he returned her kiss with his own. It was nothing but a sweet light-pressed kiss, gentle and pleasant. It was kiss that felt a lifetime but unfortunately ended too soon.

Rose leaned back, breaking it off and gave him her signature smile. A light tint of pink flushed her cheeks and the mischievous glint in her eyes was replaced by a shy glance.

"Merry Christmas Doctor" she replied softly.

The Doctor looked dazed at her through half-lidded eyes and for once his clever, clever mind refused to work. Rose Tyler had stopped all mental activity with a single gesture that made his mind blank, his palms sweaty, his breath short and hearts racing.

"Mmhm" was the only sound he could make as he swallowed dryly, his Adam's apple bobbed up and down. Rose looked slightly amused as she lifted her index finger and pointed up above them. The Doctor followed the direction and tilted his head up.

A mistletoe.

It dangled from the pine decoration, the red berries and leaves swung lightly like they taunted him from above. "_Ah of course, the ancient Christmas tradition where a man and a woman had the privilege to kiss._" He reached up towards the little bush and plucked a red berry, leaving two left in its place. He had honestly forgot about the tradition, only seeing it as another Christmas decoration humans placed in their homes and shops.

The Doctor opened his mouth in an attempt to recover from his moment of silence but Rose spoke first.

"Imma go put my jacket in my room and put on something warmer. It'll only take a sec" she spoke as she turned away to head towards the corridor. The Doctor gaped at her, his mouth still in the shape with the unformed word. Tilting his head to the side as he rubbed his neck, he watched Rose retreat from his sight and into the many halls of the TARDIS. A soft smile formed and soon it spread into a ridiculous grin.

"Yeah… You go and do that. I'll just…Uh…" He announced loudly, looking around the room to do something.

"I'll just fasten some loose screws…" he finished lamely, his eyes looking down as his sonic screwdriver.

"I'm so smooth aren't I" he said to himself only to be replied by a light hum from the TARDIS. The sound fluctuated up and down, almost like a woman's laughter.

"Oi! Don't be so cheeky" he retorted, giving the control board a couple of light smacks.

"I don't need you to agree with me."

The Doctor walked slowly, absently turning some knobs and pulling a lever. He stared down at the red berry in his palm and relived the memory that just happened a moment ago. He had guessed that her lips were going to be soft, just by watching her face every day. He couldn't even count the number of times when they joked and laughed; he would look at her rosy lips and imagine how it would feel like against his own. Of course he wouldn't be the one to act first; oh no, he would never be the first. There were too many consequences, too many signals, too many delusions. A simple kiss could mean a thousand promises that he wouldn't be able to give. But this, this innocent kiss was perfect. It fulfilled his fantasy but also saved her from his own demons, his own monsters that devoured anything good and hopeful.

The Doctor heard a shuffle from behind him that stirred him from his own thoughts.

"Wow that was quick Rose, you really meant a seco-," his voice died out for the second time today.

The Doctor had seen many shocking things in his life. Humans unzipping their foreheads to reveal Slitheens underneath, Werewolves running around a castle, humans growing gasmasks. Hell, he even saw Reapers flying around, eating everything in sight. But nothing, nothing had prepared him for Rose Tyler dressed in nothing but one of his dress shirts, underwear and a Santa hat.

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	4. Chapter 4

The Doctor could only stare as it seemed like he was physically and mentally unable to function. The sight before him was completely irrational, nonsensical, impossible! What on earth had happen between the few short minutes that could afflict such an improbable reaction from Rose? As his mind chipped away at the shock and finally started turning its wheels, Rose walked towards him leisurely; deliberately sashaying her hips while she stared at him with a cat-like grin. Her pupils were dilated, turning her honey coloured eyes into a dark pools of chocolate. Every step she took, his dress shirt slid up and exposed the cherry red panties she wore underneath for a split second before disappearing from sight only to reveal itself in the next step. She looked up beneath her long lashes as she approached the steps to the control hub, walking up each step with her bare feet.

The Doctor cleared his throat and frowned; his hand reached into the robe's pocket and pulled out his trusty sonic screwdriver.

"Rose, what's wrong? Did something happen in your room? Was there something in the TARDIS that poisoned you? Drugged you?" He switched on the screwdriver and shined the blue light starting from her head and down her body before reaching her toes. As hard as he tried not to gawk, he couldn't help but absorb the new sight while he scanned her. Was there always a tiny mole on her left thigh? Right above her knee but lower than the mid-way. But how would he have known? He had never seen so little…Clothes on this woman. His eyes frantically looked at his device and it revealed nothing out of the ordinary. He turned his eyes back on the woman to find that she had closed the gap between them and was literally inches away from him.

"Doctor" her voice reached a low but undeniable sexy growl as she placed her hand onto his chest. His pulse jumped just at that touch and raced as she dragged her finger down his stomach and made its way to the waistband of his trousers.

"R-r-r" he stuttered like a child, his feet started carrying him backwards. Before he could move away, her index finger hooked onto the front of his waistband and jerked him back to her. The scent of her lavender shampoo filled his senses as the motion tugged him closer to her head where it was currently still bowed as her sight was focused on the button of his trousers.

The lights around the TARDIS gave a heavenly glow around them, illuminating Rose's tendrils of gold; creating almost an ethereal glow around her face. His thoughts quickly brought him back to that one fateful day where Rose Tyler, the savior of the world and himself appeared to him, engulfed in the golden light of the time vortex. The day that his heart had finally stopped struggling against the universe, the demons , and allowed this amazing human being touch his dark soul. The day where she nearly sacrificed her life to save his own. Oh he didn't deserve her. This had to stop.

"Rose Marion Tyler, you've got to stop this right now" he commanded, his voice stronger than it has been at any point today. He grabbed her hands that had managed to release the button and unzipped his trousers half way and pulled them up so they rested between them. She finally lifted her head to stare into his eyes and the fire and bubbling lust had made him almost regret his action of stopping her.

"I don't know what happened but this isn't you. This isn't the girl I met in the Powell Estate; the one I decided was the best of the best. Something has to be wrong with you. Did someone take over your mind? Like how Cassandra did back in New new York?"

He allowed Rose to gently extract herself from his grip and watched as she lifted her hand to trace the side of his face. It was like a natural reaction that he leaned towards her touch, like his body yearned for her warmth and caress. Her arms linked themselves around his neck and her lips were a breath away from his own. The Doctor was captivated, unable to move away from her embrace even though he knew deep down that this was wrong. But at the same time, a flutter of hope pushed him to continue.

"No, I'm not the same girl you picked up all those months ago. No, nobody has drugged me or poisoned me or taken control over me. Can't you see that you changed me? That you have molded me into a new being? He felt her give him a butterfly kiss at the side of his mouth.

'Cause that's what you do Doctor, you take lives and make them better." He watched as Rose closed the gap and fully kissed him on his lips. The excitement and urgency was shown as her tongue brushed along him bottom lip, wanting access. The Doctor couldn't hold up the barriers anymore. They had been bashed and hacked to the point where the foundation couldn't hold them up. They crumbled the moment Rose had spoken the last line, a line that he had never in a lifetime thought to be able to hear. That he, the man with so much death and blood on his hands was living up to his name as a healer of all beings.

He opened his mouth, allowing her in as he returned her urgency with a wave of his own passion. He had grabbed her at her waist and pushed her forward to lean against the railing around the control hub. He felt her hands reach towards his shirt and pulled it out from the constricting waistband while he worked on unbuttoning the first few buttons of her borrowed shirt. He released only enough so that he could slide the collar over her shoulders. They broke their kiss, both trying to catch their breath but he thanked any higher beings for his two hearts that pumped the extra oxygen into his lungs. He barely stopped before he continued his kisses, creating a trail along her jawbone, down onto her neck and onto her shoulders. He indulged at the taste of her skin, the slight saltiness of her sweat. He could taste the slightly flavoured fragrance from her moisturizer. He felt her hands threading through his mess of hair as her head fell back to allow what seemed like freedom to any of his desires. The motion knocked the santa hat from her head as it fell over the side of the railing.

"Doctor," He heard her whisper to him and the mention of his name from her lips fueled him on. He abandoned the hollow of her neck and returned his attention back to her swollen lips; this time he was ready to explore her mouth with his tongue. His hand found itself tangled in her blonde hair, pushing her head closer to him.

This was insane, this was too fast. What was happening between them was too random, fueled by adrenaline, dopamine, serotonin. He could go on and on about the scientific logic behind what was considered to beings as the emotion of lust, love and attachment. But for once, he wished he wasn't so clever. He wished he could have turned the scientist side of him off and just allow the emotional side take hold. He broke the kiss to allow his body the air it needed as his hand released her hair and posed themselves as the edge of her shirt. They ached to pull the whole thing off her. But the oddest thing happened right at that moment. He had sworn somewhere in the midst of his clouded senses he heard his name being called.

It sounded familiar and so real that it struck a nerve in him. He looked at Rose in front of him with unfocused eyes, and stared at her lips. They were open but not forming any words, just taking in oxygen. No, it couldn't be her that spoke her name.

"Doctor?" the same recognizable voice pierced through his head, this time ringing clearer. The Doctor stopped, the fog lifted from his widened eyes. He stepped back from the Rose before him, leaving her disheveled and looking at him like she was a predator waiting to pounce on her meal. His breath hitched as his hazy mind finally placed the voice to a face.

Rose Tyler.

He whipped around and saw Rose standing by the entrance, dressed in those grey comfy sweatpants and a pink sweater she usually wears while she's in the TARDIS. Her hair was combed and the puffy jacket she had on before was gone. She still held the bundle of scarf in her hands.

"Doctor, are you alright?" Rose had a bewildered look on her face as she saw the Doctor. For some reason, he looked like someone had tugged, pulled and messed his appearance up. His hair was crazier than she had ever seen, his oxford shirt has half opened and untucked from… Well the barely hanged trousers. His jaw was open like a gaping fish and his eyebrow disappeared as they were raised high into the ruffled hair.

The Doctor whipped around to the scantily dressed Rose but she had simply disappeared into thin air. The railing just had Christmas lights and decorations hanging from the bars. There was no Rose, not the one he was with.

He looked back at the Rose below him and said only one word.

"What?"

**AN:** Read and Review!


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The Doctor realized that Rose was still staring at him with a confused expression but she was not only looking at his face, but she eyed his whole body. He looked down to discover he was still in an embarrassing state of disarray not to mention, he wasn't hiding much with his trousers barely on. His face flushed red and he quickly walked away from Rose's sight, hiding momentarily behind the tall glass pillar in the middle of the hub. It took great effort with his trembling, clumsy hands to even button up his shirt and to zip his trousers back up. He combed his hair with his fingers in vain, trying to calm the mad hair that could have been compared to Einsten's in his opinion. In the midst of his frantic thoughts, the flashbacks of the images of Rose kissing him and luring him kept invading his mind. They stirred his emotions, creating a raging tornado within himself and inconveniently caused blood to flow towards the southern region of his body. The Doctor let out a sullen groan and ran his hands through his hair again, messing up any progress he had. He closed his eyes and furrowed his brow and paced back and forth in an attempt to calm his mental and physical state.

"Think of something else. Think of something else!" He hissed to himself.

"Slitheen, Daleks, Jackie Tyler." A shiver of disgust ran down his spine accompanied by a sudden feeling of foulness washed over his body. But at the same time he sighed in relief as this method was actually working. His nerves were calming down, the agitation was dying down.

"You alright now?" a hesitant voice asked from behind the glass pillar. The Doctor took a couple deep and calming breaths before he stepped out from behind the control hub and into Rose's line of vision.

"Yeah! Fine and dandy. Nothing out of the ordinary, it was just a puzzling situation you caught me in." He blabbed, his hand scratching his head in discomfort. He couldn't even bring himself to make eye contact with Rose.

"Puzzling… Well I guess that could be a word to describe your situation. What _actually_ happened?" Rose stepped closer to him and looked at him curiously. Whatever happened clearly made the Doctor extremely flustered and uncomfortable and truly intrigued her. This flailing Doctor was a sight she had never really seen before. He was also so collected and calm; even in life-threatening situations.

"Nothing!" he snapped, refusing the thought of even discussing the topic with Rose. But Rose stood in place; one eyebrow raised and stared at him expectantly. Everything from her facial expression to body position indicated she was not going to give up anytime soon. If she didn't have the bundle of scarf in her arms, she would have crossed them across her chest and probably tapped her foot as well.

They both were caught in a death –glare battle with each other, none of them giving any way. Eventually, the nagging feeling returned to the Doctor and chipped away at him until he couldn't bare the stare down anymore.

"I don't know Rose! I honestly have no idea what happened when you were gone." He exploded in frustration, flinging his arms in the air in disbelief. He returned to pacing as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"One moment you were gone, the next moment you reappear in…" He trailed off, unable to bring himself to tell her. He cleared his throat uncomfortable and continued.

"Then I find you by the entrance and you…Or the other Rose… or whatever that was disappear- " His sentence trailed off and he was unable to continue because honestly, he was in the same confused boat as Rose was.

It was Rose's turn to furrow her brow as she tried to put together the Doctor's babbling. All she could actually put together was that he had seen her or something resembling her in the control room during the time she was actually in her bedroom changing.

"But that doesn't make any sense. I was in my room, I wasn't here."

"Well I already gathered that!" He grumbled in annoyance.

Rose bit back a retort as she started feeling angry herself. Snapping back at him wouldn't help the situation they were in anyways.

"Was it something you ate? Maybe someone poisoned you, perhaps drugged you? You did go to the banana grove where there used to be factories yeah? Maybe there was some residue of somethin' weird in the bananas." She was just sprouting ideas, trying to put some ideas out in the air.

The Doctor paused; a thought chain started developing in his brain.

"Residue…. poison… enemies…. bananas… food? No couldn't be it. I wouldn't have tasted something odd and nobody would have recognized me anyways. That was a few regenerations ago. This had to have been some illusion, some unconscious thought manipulation. Something twisted my perception of reality." He mused out loud, his hands finding the TARDIS controls again.

"Maybe there's a perception modulator fixed on the TARDIS. Or some delusion beam from some nearby spaceship…. A different time vortex?" He pulled at a lever and pushed some buttons. Rose joined up beside him as they stared at the computer-like monitor. It showed random fluctuating charts, random numbers and random symbols. None of them made any sense to her but it seemed clear as a spring morning to the Doctor. He had put on his dark rimmed glasses in midst of all his actions, giving the final touch for one of his deep problem solving moments. His eyes skimmed back and forth, looking at the screen with dismay.

"No there aren't any abnormal readings. We're still on Earth, well the future Earth. We weren't sucked into space or anything. Everything is normal! Nothing is wrong!" He stepped back from the screen and crossed his arms as he leaning against the railing. He stared at Rose while his mind was still whirling, seeing right through her. She leaned against the hub, waiting patiently for him to work it out.

What happened today? Well they landed on Earth, decided to go into the city. Rose went to the market and he went to grove. He saw the beautiful trees that produced heaven in the form of food. He picked some heaven in the form of food; ate some heaven in the form of food. Had that brilliant idea to surprise Rose; wandered back to the city to grab decorations and finally ran back to the TARDIS to decorate everything.

His mind walked him through the hours that had past; recreating every moment and scene he lived through. It was not challenging to look back in the past for a Time Lord. He had the power of seeing different timelines, the future, and the past. It wasn't very hard to grab a past timeline and run it through his mind again, almost like watching a film.

He finished the decorations, added the final touch to the snow simulator. He opened the door and found Rose outside, brought her in and surprised her. Had a nice innocent kiss under the mistletoe, watched her leave the control room. Then the craziness happened. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary at all. Nothing but…

There. Right at that moment. A strong suspicion rammed into his thoughts as he uncrossed his arms and looked at Rose with squinted eyes.

"Roseeee" he drawled out her name as he leaned forward to observe her face. Rose widened her eyes and copied his motion.

"Doctorrrrr" she copied him mockingly, drawing out his name as well.

"What happened at the marketplace?" he questioned.

Rose looked to the side and absently focused on some light bulb as she recollected her thoughts.

"Well nothin' out of the ordinary. It was a pleasant trip into a market. I was jus' walking along the stalls, looking for stuff to buy. You know, like Christmas presents. I bought some stuff and came back to the TARDIS." She recounted her day for him.

The Doctor tightened his lips into a thin line as he dissected her story.

"What exactly did you buy?" he inquired.

Rose bit the bottom lip and looked around the room, anywhere but his face. She really didn't want to tell him what she bought, well not what she bought him. It was suppose to be a surprise!

"Umm, I bought mum some lipstick since she's been looking for some for a while. I bought…. Something for you as well." She mumbled the last bit quickly.

The Doctor's eyebrows rose in pleasant surprise and a subtle smile twitched upon his lips. His eyes warmed instantly, breaking the interrogating exterior. Rose couldn't help herself as she flashed him a shy smile of her own. Her heart swelled with bliss even at his tiniest reaction.

"This present…" he pondered out in the open, "Anything odd about it?" Clearly he understood that Rose didn't want him to know what his present was, but under the circumstances his present could technically be causing the problem.

Rose shook her head firmly. "No, it's nothin' to worry about. It's not alien or anything. It's…" She paused, thinking of the right hints to give without revealing the present.

"It's made of stone. That's it. No buttons, no alien technology. It's pretty small too an' shaped like something you've seen before. It doesn't look like a remote or weapon or anything."

Rose gazed at him, her eyes giving away nothing but they pleaded him not to continue. He contemplated at the hints but the world was filled with too many mysteries and objects for him to safely put the present aside.

"Rose, I don't mind if you give it to me now. I know this probably isn't the way you wanted to give me the present, but I gotta know. This could be the thing that's messing with my head. "He reached out and enveloped her smaller hand in his, this time he gave her a smile that could only be described as reassurance and affection.

"And who knows what else it can do? I mean, it's quite hard to fool me. I've developed some good mental walls that faced many situations and succeeded" He tapped the side of his head to further stress his point. Rose pouted like a child, giving her best puppy eyes at him. But he countered hers with his own begging eyes and God forbid anyone who can actually resist them.

"Fine…" she grumbled as she released his hand to clutch onto the bundle she held.

"Just to let you know, you would have like my planned presentation MUCH more than this one." She handed over the bundle to him like a reluctant child who had to give up her dolly. He accepted the colourful bundle, finding amusement that out of all the clothing in the TARDIS, she would pick the scarf he wore back oh so long ago in his fourth regeneration. He carefully unwrapped the large bundle, slowly in case it really was some weapon. A slight tension filled the air but different feelings for both parties. For the Doctor, he was anxious to see the object and for Rose, she was anxious for his reaction to her present. The bundle got smaller until it finally revealed the present within. Recollection shone through his eyes as he gave Rose a quick glance before returning his attention to the object. What are the chances that she would stumble upon this beautiful piece of art?

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> HMMMMM :D...Please continue to read and review! I see lots of you reading, but my lonely review box is quite empty *shakes the sad little review box*

Another interesting (or not) point, I tried to write the whole "confusing illusion" from the Doctor's POV. He was the one that saw Rose's actions and he was the one that felt the emotions. I don't know if you guys noticed that or not?

And another point: This chapter was quite a bit longer but I couldn't decide whether I should have kept the length or break the chapter into 2 parts. It was almost 3000 words! There wasn't really a natural break so I made one :P But that means I got the next part pretty much ready, so a faster update!


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

It was a stone statue of a dog. But it wasn't just a normal dog that people were normally accustomed to. No, it was a dog…. Without a nose. The Doctor's lips spread into an enormous grin that crinkled the side of his eyes in delight and made his dimples appear. He threw his head back and an elated laughter erupted from within. Rose beamed at his reaction and giggled in response. She grinned so wide that her cheeks hurt. The Doctor wiped his eyes and gazed admiringly at the woman before him. He realized at the time when he mentioned Barcelona and the noseless dogs, Rose was not exactly in the happiest state.

She had just witnessed his ninth self explode with light like some sort of flamethrower and transform into a stranger. What a daft fool he was, rambling on about his body parts and going to a brand new planet while Rose hid behind the pillar; scared and shocked out of her mind. But his Rose never gave up on him. Sure she had her doubts but at the end, she came back to him as loyal as ever.

"Rose Tyler; you beautiful, brilliant, amazing human being" The Doctor embraced her with a giant hug and lifted her up in the air. She returned the hug by wrapping her arms around his neck and held on as she was swung around. Placing her back on her feet, he kissed the top of her head as both of them broke into happy chuckles.

Rose leaned back just enough to look into his face, "When I saw it, I knew it was a perfect present. I mean, what could I get for a Time Lord? Someone who can see anything in the whole entire universe?"

The Doctor shook his head, the grin simmered down to a smile of affection and honesty.

"You could have gotten anything for me and I would have cherished it."

They gazed at each other in a comfortable silence; neither of them had to speak to understand the bond between them. The Doctor realized that this moment felt real. Thinking back to the other Rose, he never felt the solidness of her in his arms. This is how Rose should feel like, not the false fantasy he had. The Doctor released Rose from his embrace and reached for his sonic screwdriver. Flicking it on, he scanned the noseless dog thoroughly but nothing came up alien according to his device.

"No you're right. This is just a statue made of stone." He held the dog in his hand and observed once more before putting it in his pocket. With the present given, Rose felt a weight she never even realized was there lift from her shoulders. She was back to her exuberant self.

"Well then, if that wasn't the problem. What was?"

The Doctor tapped his index finger against his lips as his thoughts drifted towards the other object she had bought.

"Could I see the lipstick you bought?"

Rose dug her hand into her pocket and brought out the sleek blue cylinder and handed it over to him. The Doctor took the lipstick and pulled off the cover. Twisting the bottom, the pink tube slid up from the sheath. Examining the product, he could see nothing unusual about it. He placed the lipstick under his nose and took a whiff. Tingles shot through his senses and momentarily blinded his vision.

"Woah!" he exclaimed, holding the lipstick an arm's length away from him. He rubbed his nose furiously, like action would extract the scent from his body. Rose looked strangely at him, not understanding what had just happened.

"Strong doses of psychedelic stimulants, a good mix of… psilocybin and mescaline." He blinked rapidly and shook his head in attempt to shake the stars from his eyes.

"Strong dose of what?" Rose asked, taking the lipstick from him and sniffed it herself. It smelled normal to her, like how normal lipstick smelled like.

"It's made of hallucinogens. This is a hallucinogenic lipstick. Whoever is kissed or tastes this, the chemicals seep through the taste buds and alters the victim's perception, mind, and consciousness. Cheap but effective."

Rose looked mystified as she stared at the tube of makeup product. She gasped as her hand flew to her mouth. She gawked at the Doctor with a horrified expression on her face.

"I tried some on! At the market! I wasn' sure it was the right shade of pink and seeing how my skin tone is similar to Mum's , I tried it on!"

The Doctor groaned in recognition and dragged his hands down his face, creating an amusing facial expression.

"That makes so much sense! The kiss from the mistletoe was before you left for your room. The lipstick must have taken affect only minutes after you left!" He flung himself around the control hub and laughed senselessly.

So there was the answer, the answer to his out of the ordinary experience. The whole Rose interaction was a figment of his imagination; an illusion! He literally had a thought taken from his mind and made into what he thought was reality. He stopped in his tracks and looked down at the ground unfocused. Out of all the hallucinations he could have had, he just had to have one with Rose Tyler in it didn't he? Did he really want that sort of relationship with her?

A relationship where he could take her into his arms and kiss her like the whole of time was ending. Where he could caress her face, touch her lips, run his hands through her golden locks. Where he could ignore the burden in his heart and just live a normal life. A relationship with no secrets or lies, just honesty and love. A relationship with someone that sees the good in him and makes him believe he's a better man.

He swallowed deeply, realizing everything in that hallucination was just what he hoped Rose would do with him. But hope and fantasy is sometimes the same thing aren't they?

"Plah, ppplaaahh!" Rose's voice brought him from his thoughts. She was rubbing her lips with the sleeves of her arms, trying to get any residue of the hallucinogenic lipstick off of her lips. A small sad smile appeared on the Doctor's face as he reached into his bigger-on- the- inside pockets and pulled out a white handkerchief. His strange quietness stopped Rose from continuing as he approached her. Her eyes were wide like a dog just caught doing something wrong by her owner. She watched him wet the tip of the handkerchief with his tongue before she felt his other hand gently tilt her head up from underneath her chin.

"You'll rub your lips off by doing that." He quietly murmured as he dabbed her red and swollen lips. Rose could scarcely breathe; acting like a deep breath would break this moment. He was so gentle with her, so tender and careful with his graceful hands. The same hands that could bring any monster down but in turn would hold her hand and make the world melt away. Rose looked up from his hands to his face and saw the Doctor lost in his thoughts. She could see that at this moment, his guarded front was down. The barriers he held up at any given time were laid down to rest. Because of this rare moment, she finally saw the extent of loneliness and the sadness seeping from his eyes. Of course she had seen glimpses of these moments, but they were brief and gone as quickly as they appeared. But this was different. This was the longest she was able to peer through the cracks in his armor.

And it made her heart ache and constrict with pain.

"Hey…" she said whispered, her hand capturing his. He slowly turned his unfocused eyes towards her face, a sad smile still on his face.

"Penny for your thought?"

The atmosphere was somber but words floated seamlessly through the air. Somewhere in the background, light music was still playing.

"I'm just…." He paused, watching Rose's thumb draw soft circles on his palm. Unwanted tears blurred his vision but he refused to let them fall. He sniffed loudly, and swallowed the lump in his throat. He let out a defeated and long sigh.

"I'm just a little… Tired. Tired of doubts and unrealistic expectations. I'm tired of being unable to save the people I want, to vanquish the enemies I have." His voice started to tremble.

"I'm just so tired of not having anything go my way. Is that so hard to ask? For all the things I've done, for all the lives I _did _save. Just to get something small, something that would seem so insignificant compared to the size of the universe."

Rose didn't know what to say. The broken man that was before her was bearing his weaknesses and torment to her, passing his burdens to someone that wasn't himself. But she couldn't say anything. Her mind was torn in so many directions; from wanting to hold him, or to kiss him, or to make a joke, or to cry. So instead of doing any of these actions, she stood there silently with a pain so great throbbing within.

The Doctor bowed his head, like the whole world was bearing its great weight on him. But the weight should be so familiar to him now shouldn't it? So many times, the lives of millions were in his hands. So many times, the existence of a country, a continent, a whole planet depended on whether he succeeded or not.

He raised his head suddenly, removed his hand from Rose's and turned away from her. He dug the both heels of his hands into his eyes and groaned again.

"Right… Never mind me Rose. Just some melodramatic drama queen I am. This will pass in a jiffy, like a nanogene in the wind." He started pulling at levers again, spinning odd pieces, and pushing random buttons.

"We'll have to go back to your home now. It should be Christmas now! I'm sorry about the lipstick, but I don't think you can give that to Jackie. Imagine the troubles she'll get…"

Rose had walked up behind him during his ramble and wrapped her arms around his waist. She buried her head into his back and held him tightly from behind. Her action stilled his movements and he leaned against the control hub with his hands supporting them from in front.

"You deserve it." She began, her voice was soft but he could hear her clearly.

" You deserve anything you want in the world. You deserve the endless thanks and gratitude. The universe should have everything go your way. You know why?" Rose firmly grabbed his waist and turned him around slowly until he faced her. His head was still bowed, his shaggy hair covering his eyes.

"Because Doctor, my Doctor. You, you take lives and make them better." She whispered, her hand brushing back the hair from his face. He jerked his head up and he looked into Rose's eyes with disbelief. She had used the same words he heard before. The same words that he had imagined Rose saying to him back in his hallucination. The words that he knew he had wanted someone to say to him one day but he hoped that Rose would be the one to tell him.

"The hell with any residues" he hissed as he held both sides of Rose's cheeks and kissed her deeply. Her scent overwhelmed his senses, her mouth and lips glided perfect against his. Rose wrapped her arms around his neck and he wrapped his arms around her waist. This kiss was real; this was the one that should have happened. Both of them poured all the pain and love into each other, their bodies pressed against each other without any space between them. The music in the background faded and the blissful silence wrapped around them. The Doctor's shoulders started to tremble and those trembles grew stronger until a tiny sob escaped from their locked lips. They broke apart, eyes closed and foreheads leaning against each other as Rose tried to catch her breath and the Doctor tried to stop the overwhelming feeling to breakdown.

"Thank you" he whispered hoarsely. "Thank you, thank you, thank you" he repeated over and over until Rose kissed him tenderly on his lips and silenced him. The kiss was quick but the meaning was understood.

They stayed in each other arms, his chin rested on top of her head as she laid her head against his chest; the thumps of his hearts creating a soothing rhythm.

"I thank the universe everyday that I met you Rose Tyler. I honestly wouldn't know where I would be without you." He murmured into his hair after some time, as he swayed them both in a light swinging motion. Rose's heart melted at his words and she smiled softly.

"Well, you would have been gobbled up by Nestene Consciousness or still running around London trying to find a giant circular transmitter."

The Doctor chuckled, the low rumble echoing in his chest and into her ears. She loved his laugh; it was one of the most beautiful things she had ever heard.

"Quite right too." He replied, a smile was also on his face now. He moved out of their embrace and took her hand firmly. He brought her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss upon the back of her hand before giving her one of his signature grins. She countered his with her own happy smile. He turned his attention back to the control as he pushed a lever and the TARDIS made its landing, for once without the bumpiness.

"Well, Christmas Day. Shall we go see your Mum and Mickey the Idiot?" Rose nodded and allowed the Doctor to lead her hand in hand out the TARDIS doors. The lights still twinkled within the TARDIS, the computerized snow still falling. The cheerful music drifted from within the TARDIS and graced the air outside with Christmas music. Rose Tyler held onto the Doctor's hand and leaned against his arm as she admired his face while they walked towards her Mum's place. She had never seen the Doctor so burden free and so happy before. The crinkles faded away and his face looked smooth and younger than before. The twinkle was back in his beautiful brown eyes and the smile he bared was genuine. He was like a new man, a new man that she still loved the same.

"So Doctor?" She asked, a thought still niggled at her brain.

"Hmmm?" He replied, his eyes focused on the door that they were approaching.

"You never told me what your hallucination was." Rose cheekily asked, her tongue peeked itself from behind her teeth as she grinned at him.

"Oi! Nothing! That was just between me, myself and I." He retorted but a flush rose to his cheeks, making them pink with embarrassment.

Rose Tyler laughed loudly as they entered into Powell Estate and just like that, everything was back in place.

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><p>AN: Well that's it! I hoped you enjoyed my story :D It was quite fun and a relief to finally get my idea out in words. I really appreciate the people who actually stuck by and read each chapter as it came out. You know who you are :') I'm not sure if I'll continue to write anything else. I might do maybe a little epilogue or an extra bit after my finals since Christmas will ACTUALLY be closer haha. Leave me a comment if you do want something like that?<p> 


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